How much does it cost to raise a child in the U.S.?

There is no single number. USDA and household-spending research show that food, housing, transportation, health care, clothing, child care, education and miscellaneous costs all vary by income, region and family structure.

Does this include child care?

Yes, if you enter it. Child care and education are separate monthly inputs so you can model day care, preschool, after-school care, tutoring or activities for your situation.

Does the calculator subtract tax credits or benefits?

No. It estimates gross family spending. Tax credits, child support, public benefits and employer benefits should be modeled separately.

Why does the birth-to-18 estimate differ from my monthly budget times 18 years?

The model uses age bands, so infant, school-age and teen years can have different base costs. Your custom monthly extras are applied across the remaining age bands.

Cost of Raising a Child Calculator

Estimate the monthly, annual and birth-to-18 cost of raising a child in the U.S. from age, region, child care, health care and activity assumptions.

Age group

U.S. region

Current age, years

Child care / education, $/month

Health care / activities, $/month

Number of children

Estimate the cost of raising a child

This calculator estimates a family-budget scenario for raising a child in the United States. It separates current monthly cost, annual cost, remaining cost to age 18 and a birth-to-18 estimate.

Planning estimate only

This is not financial advice and not an official cost standard. Real costs vary by household income, location, housing, child care, health care, school, transportation, family support and inflation.

Cost model

M o n t h l y cos t = (B a s e_{a g e} \times R e g i o n + C hi l d c a r e + H e a l t h c a r e) \times C hi l d r e n

A nn u a l cos t = M o n t h l y cos t \times 12

The base age bands are broad U.S. budgeting assumptions inspired by household-spending categories used in child-cost research. Add your own child care, education, health care and activity costs to fit the scenario.

What affects the estimate

Factor	Why it matters
Child age	Infant and preschool years often have higher child care costs, while teen years can bring higher food, transportation, activities and technology costs.
U.S. region	Housing, child care, food and transportation costs vary widely across regions and metro areas.
Number of children	Some costs scale per child, while housing, toys, clothing and transportation can include shared or reused costs.
Child care and education	Day care, preschool, after-school care, tutoring and activities can dominate the monthly budget.
Health care	Premiums, deductibles, copays, therapy, dental, vision and prescriptions vary by family and plan.

What is not included

Tax credits, child support, public benefits and employer benefits are not subtracted.
College or adult support after age 18 is outside the default horizon.
Inflation and future wage growth are not modeled unless you update the inputs over time.
Birth, adoption, fertility treatment and one-time moving or housing changes are not included by default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and References

Calculations are based on the listed reference sources. Links open in a new tab.

Updated: May 11, 2026

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